Getty Owl Foundation

SF Marathon…..Coming Soon. Will You Join Us?

From Kate:

Hello to all this fine Monday. I hope that everyone had a safe and fun 4th of July. We had a great time enjoying the day and lighting fireworks off. Getty loves the beautiful colors and sparkles that go along with the night. Last night was also a fun night. We are a soccer home over here and to witness history being made yesterday as the US Women’s soccer team win the World Cup was so exhilarating.

I wanted to post at least once more about the SF Marathon. Getty Owl Foundation was chosen for the 2nd time as one of the chosen foundations to represent the SF Marathon. It is July 26th. We have a couple of slots open for 1st half marathon distances. Both of these of distances are already sold out and we have the last coveted slots open for anyone interested. If you or someone you know is interested in being a part of Team Getty, please email me at hoot@gettyowl.org.

Your registration also includes our Team Getty tech shirt.

If you are interested, email me and I will give you all of the details. 🙂

Spread the word.

I want to thank our Team Getty team members already signed up. You guys are awesome and we thank you so very much for being a part of our team. So excited to raise SMA awareness again this year.

Here are a few pictures from last year’s experience.

Love, Dad

From Mark:

Getty, here we are… over 5 years together, and I couldn’t be happier. Our time together, your love, and your influence mean more to me than you know.

Today, you know me as Dad — the one who rolls in after work to give you love, smoochies, giggles, dance parties, baths, and story time. I give you evening breathing treatments while Mom catches a breath of her own. I give you food, warmth, and comfort, and tuck you in. I am comforted by your steady bipap rhythm and the knowledge that, for one more day, Mom has filled your day with love, learning, and experience in my absence, and you have all you need to stay healthy and happy. I hold your little hand, and we sleep.

What you don’t know is the profound impact you have had on my life. You didn’t know the man I had been — 40 years in the making before you arrived on the scene.

In relatively short time, you have brought me depths of love, caring, and happiness I never dreamed imaginable. You have drawn from me previously unknown confidence, courage, strength, and perseverance. You have shown me the true meaning of selflessness and devotion. You have breathed new meaning into each moment of my life that flows through me and finds itself into everything I think, feel, and do. You have opened doors to passions previously unrecognized, ignored, and unknown. I have learned to appreciate and embrace each moment, to live as I ought to live, see as I ought to see, dream as I ought to dream, love as I ought to love.

From you, I the embrace the gifts of love.

Through you, I’m no longer just a man — I’m your Dad.

I love you.

Watch Out World………Getty Just Graduated!

From Kate,

Well our little lady had a big day yesterday (Thursday). Getty was officially promoted to Kindergarten! Wow I just typed that. Here she is 5 and on to another chapter that we knew we would see. I think there is a certain air of exhale in the house. We are so proud of Getty and also just so excited about another milestone met and blew out of the water if you ask me. 🙂

I will only say this once. “Who knew we would be in attendance watching our girl accept her certificate yesterday with the prognosis we were given when she was only 4 months old.” But really knowing Getty…….of course we would be here.

Getty is a fighter through and through! I wish I knew what was going on in her mind every minute of every day. If I had to guess it would be the sounds of pure determination to reach goals. She is ready for Kindergarten and I am convinced that come August she will be ready to get going to reach the next milestone.

She loves life and and she is thriving and that is all that matters. This journey is windy and yes there are times that are harder than others, but when we enjoy moments as big as graduating to Kindergarten, one tends to forget about the scary and uncertain and instead bask in the what is.

Getty was so happy to enjoy time with her friends. They were happy to see her. At one point the entire class surrounded her and we sat back and enjoyed the sight of her being in the center of a love circle. 🙂  

We are so thankful for the patience, expertise, and love of all of her teachers. They have been so supportive of Getty’s need to explore and learn. We thank the kids for being such a loving bunch of kiddos. Gosh they are cute and just so thoughtful to Getty.

As we look toward this summer we are just overcome with the pure elation to spend time with loved ones, see new things, and discover life again with little lady. She will always be in front, leading the way, just tell us what to pack. 🙂

Congratulations Getty. Now on to Kindergarten you go.

We just recently finished a book with Getty entitled, Flora & Ulysses. It is such a sweet book about a little girl and her superhero squirrel friend. One of his powers was the ability to type. At the end of the book he writes her a poem that I think is a cute way to express our love for Miss Getty.

Words for Getty

Nothing would be easier without you,

because you are everything,

all of it- sprinkles, quarks, giant donuts,

eggs sunny-side up-

you are the ever-expanding universe to us.

I Had No Idea

From Kate:

Getty,

I had no idea who you were going to be when I was pregnant. I had no idea what you looked like or what your giggle was going to sound like. I had no idea how perfect your hands and feet would look like and how they would be ticklish when I touched them.

I had no idea what kind of mommy I would be. Would I give you everything you would need to get through this windy road we call life? Could I give you all the love you needed in order to feel secure, safe, and empowered? Would I have the capability to show you the world and to teach you that beauty is not only in you but all around you?

When you were born Getty I had no parenting skills. I had never done this before. I was grabbing at straws before you came. But once you were here, something happened. When I became your mother, you showed me that all was fine. You eyes told me to that all was going to be okay. Perhaps that was your way in telling me that there was going to be more to our story together.

Since your birth you have taught me to love with passion, to feel the breeze, to know how to physically and emotionally care for someone with every fiber of my body.

Getty this journey that we are on is the most beautiful path I could have ever imagined. Flowers bloom, the sun feels warm and rejuvenating, the air is crisp and all encompassing, and your smile makes all of this possible. Your hand on mine tells me that all will be well. Your gaze gives me the strength to know that all is well and that I should never fret.

Thank you for letting me be your mother. Thank you ever so much.

SF Marathon………Here We Come!!!!!

From Kate:

Well we have great news, we have been chosen again this year as one of the selected charities for the 2015 SF Marathon. Very excited and so thankful to be considered again this year.

Our Team Getty running/walking team is already taking shape. I want to thank many of our last year’s team for coming back for another year. We also have some new Team Getty members aboard and we thank you in advance. We are so excited  for the day to come so we can spread SMA awareness and show San Francisco how awesome our Team Getty really is!!!!!!

Are you interested is joining us? We are looking for half marathon and marathon Team Getty members.

We would love to increase our team from last year. I just checked and the race is already 75% filled.

Here are some details:

SF Marathon & Half Marathon: July 26th

Team Getty Members get our team racing shirt, which are super cool. 🙂

*One BIG aspect of joining us that we have all of the registrations already. No need to buy them online on the SF Marathon website. If you are interested email me at hoot@gettyowl.org and I will give you ALL the details. 🙂

So excited about this year. I was not in the best shape last year to run it, but I did. This year, my goal is to gazelle across the Golden Gate Bridge, not snail slug it. 🙂

Hope to hear from anyone interested. It would be great to have a bigger group this year.